Almost an Affair
by Roxius
Summary: A request I owed someone a while back. Jeanne stays over at the Asakuras, and although Anna is displeased to have her around, Yoh does his best to watch out for her. Takes place after the series. Some Yoh X Jeanne. Two-chapter story. Please R & R!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King.

A/N: Something that I owed someone a while back, and I had left it half-finished; a fic with a bit of Yoh X Jeanne stuff. Hope it's alright. It'll be two chapters.

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><p>Yoh and Anna sat in total silence as they ate their dinner together. Yoh picked up a single piece of rice with his chopsticks, examined it for a moment, and then ate it. It tasted so bland. He was about to say something to Anna, but decided better not to. He wasn't even sure what he could say, either. The blonde-haired girl had used the last of the soy sauce on her rice and meat; it was the only container left in the whole house. If one looked at it on the surface, one could say that it was just an accident. However, Yoh knew that she had done it on purpose. It was all for the sake of torturing him, regardless of whether it was chasing him with a spiked whip or using up all the soy sauce. She was so easy to read, despite the lack of emotion in her expressions.<p>

She was pissed about something. Really, really pissed. Like, super pissed.

'But why? Why is she so upset? What did I do? Was it even me? What is it, Anna?' Yoh wondered. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck. He was afraid for the moment she would open her mouth, and finally reveal just what it was that had her so upset. Usually, they were happy together, and Yoh liked Anna when she was happy. When she was upset, it was like having to go through Hell all over again. Yoh couldn't relax when he knew that his wife was upset about something. A single slap of hers alone was even stronger than the combined power of his best Oversoul techniques. Their years of travel had not only strengthened their bond as a couple, but her right hand as well. They could battle on even grounds now.

"Yoh."

That one word from her lips, his own name, pierced into Yoh Asakura like a knife. He nearly toppled backwards in utter shock. He didn't know what to expect next, but he knew he had to answer her. It was the moment of truth.

"Y-Yes?"

"I know that you are probably aware that I am upset, right?"

"Yeah...I did..." Yoh mumbled.

"Do you want to know why?"

Yoh was finally growing more comfortable now, even if he was in a dire situation. "Yeah. I do."

"It's because...of her."

Anna angrily jabbed both of her chopsticks to her right, in the direction of a thin, robed figure sitting on the other side of the room. It was Jeanne, the former Iron Maiden, the ex-X-Law, and Tao Ren's wife. Yoh blinked; he had forgotten about her for a moment, actually. The gorgeous silver-haired woman had not been allowed to eat at the table with them, per Anna's orders. Since it was Anna's household, and Jeanne was grateful enough that they even let her stay in the first place, she accepted having to eat alone without question.

Now that he was aware of the pointless reason for why Anna was mad, Yoh was beginning to get a little frustrated himself.

"What's wrong with Jeanne? She's not doing anything," Yoh replied.

"I don't like her being here."

"What?"

"I don't like having another woman in the house, especially someone as pretty-looking as her. A woman, by the way, that YOU let in, while I was just willing to follow along at first. Just what do you think you're doing?"

Jeanne flinched. Yoh jumped up onto his feet, clearly upset by the accusations that his wife was implying. His previous fears of inciting Anna's wrath had been replaced with these new feelings of indignation. He and Anna had their fights sometimes, and although they normally got together so well, it was every so often that they ran into complications like this.

"What about Tamao? She's a woman too, and she practically lives here with us!" Yoh exclaimed.

Anna's eyes narrowed. "I trust Tamao. I know she wouldn't try and do anything with you; she's a loyal woman, and she understands her place in the world quite well. This woman...she isn't someone I can trust. Don't you remember what happened at the Shaman Fight? Sure, she was a big help when it came to fighting the Patch, but never forget that she was at the head of that group of justice-obsessed maniacs, murdered more than a few people, and she even tried to take away your chance at becoming Shaman King! Plus, there's still no excuse for why she chose to come to us first instead of any of her other friends. I don't like her being here at all!"

"Anna!"

Suddenly, there was a loud clang, and Yoh and Anna turned their attention over to Jeanne herself. Jeanne's bowl had fallen to the floor, spilling its contents out all over. It had been an accident. The young woman seemed frozen to the spot. She let out a tiny sniffle. There were tears forming on the edges of her scarlet eyes. In the awkward stillness of the moment, she slowly bent down, scooped up the spoiled food into the tiny bowl, and began walking towards the door.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry...I didn't mean to intrude or anything. Thank you very much for the food," she said in a single burst of breath. She shut the screen-door behind her and disappeared down the hallway.

Yoh swerved his head back to Anna. "Look what happened! She's pretty sensitive, you know!"

"She's a grown woman; she should be able to deal with stuff like that,"

Yoh shook his head, sighing. "I'm going to go and check up on her..." he said.

"Fine. If that's what you really want to do. I'm going to send a ghost to keep an eye on you two, though,"

"Okay, fine! You can do that if you really don't trust me!" Yoh replied with a hint of disapproval.

"Like I told you, Yoh, it's not you I don't trust. It's her." Anna replied as coldly as ever. She returned to her eating with nothing else to say. Yoh didn't know what else he could say to her either; she was deeply set in her ways, as she'd always been. There were times where he could easily brush off her coldness, but he really didn't like the way she treated their friends sometimes.

'I guess I'll go and see if Jeanne is alright, then...'


	2. Chapter 2

Yoh eventually found Jeanne in the guest room that had been prepared for her earlier that same day. She was bent over her open suitcase, piling everything inside in a haphazard manner. For a brief moment, Yoh observed her in silence from the doorway. He had never noticed how different she looked when seen from behind. She seemed so thin and small, almost pitifully so. It made the girl even more sympathetic in his eyes.

However, he still felt some personal apprehension at even considering Jeanne as 'weak', especially after having witnessed first-hand both the incredible mana and spirit ally she possessed. Of course, that didn't mean that she wasn't weak in some ways mentally; she had been through so much already in her younger years. She was good at adjusting to stressful situations, and Ren's love had helped her some, but there was still something inside of her that would probably always remain.

Yoh swiftly decided to push it all of this aside into the back of his mind. Going deeper into understanding the components of Jeanne's emotional psyche was not his intention right now; he just wanted to try and make things comfortable for her while she was staying with them. It was the least he could do.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Jeanne made a little jump, and spun around to face Yoh. Yoh noted that there was no evidence of her previous tears in her eyes or on her cheeks. Nonetheless, her red irises seemed to shimmer even in the dim lighting. With a thin smile on her lips, the silver-haired woman gave a brief nod. As she opened her mouth to speak, Yoh realized something; this was probably the first time the two of them were getting to talk alone, without anyone else nearby.

"Yes...I'll be fine. I was just packing since it would probably be best if I left as soon as possible." Jeanne said this casually with a straight face, although the hint of disappointment in her voice was clear. She nervously fumbled with the hem of her dress, staring in Yoh's direction, but not actually looking at him.

Yoh took a step forward. "C'mon now, I know you were upset by what Anna said, but you don't really have to leave! Besides, it's dark out; why not just wait until morning? I'll make sure that she doesn't give you any crap."

"Thank you for your concern, Yoh, but I am not afraid of Anna at all." Jeanne replied.

"...O-Oh?" Yoh wondered why all of the women he knew seemed so capable at kicking his ass if they wanted to.

"To be honest, as a wife myself, I can also understand how she feels."

"You do?"

"She doesn't want me to try and take you away from her. Of course, I would never even attempt to do such a thing. However, anger and jealousy and suspicion all come together to plant the seeds of doubt in a person heart; it is a sad truth of mankind. We are prone to taking on such negative emotions when the situation is not in our favor."

Yoh scratched his chin, mulling over what Jeanne had just said. "Yeah...that makes sense..."

"Unlike her, however, I would be more courteous and keep those thoughts to myself for the sake of the guest. But...she's not me, and she has her own ways of expressing her feelings, and that was why she did what she did. I can't hold it against her because I understand her. I may not have ever been a true holy maiden, but I find it easier to continue acting as one. I am willing to respect her need for space, and make sure that you two stay happy,"

"You...you really have it all figured out, huh?" Yoh was amazed by her deduction. Most of the women he knew were smarter than him, too.

"Heh heh, you could say that!" Jeanne beamed. It was an actual smile for once. Yoh smiled back.

Eventually the laughter died down. The two of them stared at each other in silence for what felt like the longest time. Neither knew what to say next. Yoh glanced over Jeanne's shoulder, at her still-opened suitcase. He could see her underwear and brassiere folded on top of the rest of her clothes. He mentally slapped himself for the dirty thoughts that had entered his mind at that moment.

"Do you still plan on leaving right now instead of tomorrow?"

"...Do you think I really should?"

"Me? Why ask me?"

"Well, you are the only one who actually seems to care whether I leave or not." Jeanne pointed out.

"You can do what you want. It's not my decision at all,"

"You're very passive in your ways in comparison to Ren, you know that?"

"It was alot like that when we were younger, too,"

"Ha ha ha...you two must have been quite a pair." Jeanne chuckled, and she took a step closer to Yoh. She was still smiling at him. It didn't seem like she was planning anything unscrupulous. She just wasn't that kind of a person...right?

Yoh, who seemed unaware of this, replied, "Yeah, he was actually stronger than him for a little while too, with that armored oversoul. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would stop training, so I wonder how powerful he's become now..."

"Yoh?"

"Huh?"

"Thank you for sticking up for me; I really appreciate it..."

"Hey, it's no problem at-"

Jeanne had only meant to give him a tiny kiss on the cheek, a friendly gesture, nothing more. She only wanted to thank him. However, without realizing it, Yoh had moved his head at the last second. Instead, their lips had collided. They stared at each other with eyes bulging wide. It was because of a simple mistake that things had turned out this way.

'Oh...crap...'

However, for some reason, neither of them broke away immediately, or even tried to. It was like they were frozen on the spot. Of course, they had the power to move. But something kept them from doing so. It was a passion that was growing, festering, a passion that neither had experienced much often in the embrace of their real lovers. Yes, there were times when Anna and Ren had proven how much they loved their partners, but this was something entirely different all together. It was like flowers blossoming in the dawn of a new spring. Something indescribable. That's what gave them the incentive to keep their lips locked for so long.

'Her lips, they're so much softer than Anna's...and...' Yoh didn't even know what to think anymore. For a moment, in the depths of his thinking, he wanted to wrap his arms around her, and just hold her...

"Ah!"

Suddenly, before the kiss could go on any longer, Jeanne pushed him away after letting out a shout. Her cheeks were the same shade of red as her eyes. She did not appear as horrified with what she had done, but she certainly was upset nonetheless. She couldn't even look Yoh in the eye; Yoh wasn't sure if he could do the same either. They were both speechless. A wall of iron had fallen between them because of their actions, and not even Yoh's most powerful strike of Amidamaru's sword had much chance of ever breaking through it. No words could heal the damage.

"I...I..." Yoh tried to speak. Jeanne swiftly cut him off; an act that was unlike her usual self.

"Yoh?" Jeanne mumbled through quivering lips.

Yoh knew what was wrong, but he still asked anyway. "What is it? Are you okay?"

Jeanne shook her head. "I'm so sorry. Please, just let me do this on my own. I'll finish packing on my own."

"...Okay."

"I'm so sorry..."

Yoh took a few steps back, and the bedroom door closed in front of him. He sighed. He couldn't believe what he had just done.

"I kissed her, and I liked it? My god, Anna is going to kill me for real if she finds out!"

"Oh, really? So that's how it is?"

Yoh looked down at his left thigh. Clinging to it was the small ghost of a prepubescent girl. She wore a long-sleeved kimono, and her face was as pale as snow. She was beaming up at him with childish glee in her marble-like eyes. And then, almost as soon as she had appeared, the ghost was fluttering away. Presumably returning to Anna with the news.

'Maybe I should stay out of the house for a while...' Yoh thought, gulping.


End file.
